The ArcGIS Maps for Adobe Creative Cloud extension combines ArcGIS with Adobe’s graphic design tools. With the extension, you can download geographic data as artwork paths in Adobe Illustrator and immediately begin using Illustrator to create unique map designs. Follow the best practices described below to prepare vector data (points, lines, and polygons) that you plan to include in your maps.
Note:
For best results when using symbology and labels, use RGB for all color spaces. It's not recommended to mix CMYK, HSV, and RGB.
The following sections cover best practices for styling GIS vector data in ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Online, and ArcGIS Enterprise. Because the Maps for Adobe Creative Cloud extension leverages the Adobe Creative Cloud applications’ graphic design capabilities to create custom maps, you should understand that designing GIS vector data in ArcGIS Pro and Map Viewer may require a different set of best practices than your usual workflow. There are two reasons for this:
- ArcGIS Maps for Adobe Creative Cloud converts GIS data into Illustrator artwork paths, meaning that the GIS data will be in a different format when downloaded to Illustrator. There are underlying differences in how these formats render vectors to arrive at the same appearance. If the original GIS data is not styled as described in this section, it may result in downloaded artwork that is not ideal for efficient design, even though its initial appearance may be effectively identical. This is true for every vector feature: points, lines, and polygons, as well as labels. Each of these geographic feature types has its own set of best practices for styling in ArcGIS Pro for consumption in the extension.
- Map designers use this extension to take advantage of the extensive GIS capabilities of ArcGIS combined with the graphic design tools of Illustrator. Therefore, it is not necessary to fully finish the aesthetics of map symbolization in ArcGIS applications. However, you may want to style your GIS data based on some common cartographic standards, such as making the water blue, parks green, and so on. This can make the extension layers easier for map designers to read on initial download.
If you have data that you have already styled in an ArcGIS Pro map that you'll publish for use in the Maps for Adobe Creative Cloud extension to download to Illustrator, this documentation also covers whether those maps should be restyled for optimization and ease of use in Illustrator.
Note:
Recommendations for preparing vector data in ArcMap have moved to ArcMap best practices.
ArcGIS Desktop is in mature support and will be retired March 1, 2026. There are no plans for future releases of ArcGIS Desktop, and it is recommended that you migrate to ArcGIS Pro. See Migrate from ArcMap to ArcGIS Pro for more information.
Point data
To optimize point data symbology for use in the Maps for Adobe Creative Cloud extension, follow the guidelines below for ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Enterprise, and ArcGIS Pro.
Point data in ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise
In Map Viewer, point symbol sets are organized into three categories: Classic Symbols, Vector Symbols, and Added styles. When preparing your maps for consumption in the Maps for Adobe Creative Cloud extension, you should symbolize your point data with the following symbols from those categories:
- Basic shapes symbols (in Image 1 below) from the Classic Symbols category.
- Any symbols from the Vector Symbols category.
- SVG symbols that you upload to the Added styles category.
Points that you symbolize in these three ways are preserved as editable vector layers in AIX exports. Vector layers are optimal for rendering and editing in Illustrator.
You can also represent point features using picture marker symbols, which use an image to define the appearance of the marker. With the exception of the Basic shapes symbols, the symbols in the Classic Symbols category are picture marker symbols. All point symbol types, including picture marker symbols, are preserved once processed through the extension. However, picture marker symbols are converted into image layers in Illustrator and are not optimal for editing.
If you set transparency by attribute or set symbol level transparency, transparency is preserved and is editable in Illustrator.
Point data in ArcGIS Pro
In ArcGIS Pro, when preparing your maps for consumption in the Maps for Adobe Creative Cloud extension, symbolize your point data with the Shape marker option (see Image 3). If you do, your point symbology will be set up for optimal rendering in Illustrator. This is the case even if you are symbolizing with graduated or proportional point symbology. Maps for Adobe Creative Cloud is designed to compress point symbols into one path containing their original outline and fill colors (which can be changed in Illustrator). This means that each point in your original ArcGIS Pro map will be downloaded as its own individual Illustrator path with the stroke and fill color you applied in ArcGIS Pro (see Images 5–7).
Point data that is symbolized with the Shape marker option in your ArcGIS Pro maps, and shared to ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise, will be identical in appearance (see Image 4). When added to Illustrator through the extension, either as a layer or as part of a web map, the point symbology will also have the same appearance where the fill and stroke colors of each point’s path are that of your original design. From there, you are ready to apply the Illustrator tools to design your point data (see Image 5).
Custom point symbology
Cartographers often have symbols for point data that they commonly reuse in their maps. As a convenient way for implementing custom point symbols, use the Custom Symbols process in the Maps for Adobe Creative Cloud extension to automatically replace simple point symbology with your own symbols from your Adobe Illustrator symbol libraries.
Linear data
As with points, there are several ways to symbolize lines. Likewise, there are specific steps to optimize linear symbology for the Maps for Adobe Creative Cloud extension that may be different than your usual approach to symbolizing lines.
Use simple symbology
There are many commonly used cartographic techniques for symbolizing lines, depending on the data type that is being symbolized. For example, administrative boundaries often have a hash pattern to indicate their prominence, perennial streams are frequently symbolized by a dot-and-dash pattern, and highways can be symbolized by casing, where a line of narrow width sits atop a wider line of a different color. It is expected that when you use the ArcGIS Maps for Adobe Creative Cloud extension, you will also be using Adobe Illustrator for these techniques. Some issues can arise when applying these techniques to your data’s appearance before Maps for Adobe Creative Cloud consumption. When syncing a map that has linear data styled with a hash or dotted pattern, the resulting map in Illustrator may look exactly how the cartographer initially intended. However, the resulting line paths in Illustrator will be broken instead of one single linear path. Therefore, any further editing to this feature on your map can be cumbersome (Image 16).
Linear data in ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise
When you share maps from ArcGIS Pro to ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise (with linear data styled as recommended above), you do not need to edit the appearance of the linear data; it will be ready for consumption in the Maps for Adobe Creative Cloud extension. (Image 13).
Linear data in ArcGIS Pro
In ArcGIS Pro, use the Solid stroke setting to style linear data when designing maps for consumption in Maps for Adobe Creative Cloud (Image 14). Avoid adding any other effects such as offsets and dashes.
Custom line symbology
Cartographers often have patterns and other appearances for linear data that they commonly reuse in their maps. As a convenient way for implementing custom line appearance, use the Custom Brushes process in the ArcGIS Maps for Adobe Creative Cloud extension to automatically replace simple line symbology with your own brushes from your Adobe Illustrator brush libraries.
Categorized line symbols (classed symbology)
As with point symbology, you can use classed symbology to categorize your linear data, and these categories will carry through to your synced map in Illustrator. This is true for both categorical and quantitative symbolization.
Polygon data
As with points and lines, when symbolizing polygons for Maps for Adobe Creative Cloud consumption, use simple symbology. This is true for ArcGIS Pro and online hosted maps and services. If a polygon layer has pattern fill or boundary symbology, each of the shapes that make up the pattern will become its own individual path. This can cause two issues for your map in Illustrator. First, since the pattern’s shapes will become individual paths, the .ai file size will become much larger than if you had applied an Illustrator swatch pattern to the polygon layer after it was synced. Second, using a pattern fill before syncing, instead of applying an Illustrator swatch pattern after syncing, limits your ability to edit the layer.
Custom polygon symbology
Cartographers often have specific colors for polygon data that they commonly reuse in their maps. As a convenient way for implementing custom polygon appearance, use the Custom Swatches process in the ArcGIS Maps for Adobe Creative Cloud extension to automatically replace simple polygon symbology with your own swatches from your Adobe Illustrator swatch libraries. (The custom process doesn't support pattern swatches. Apply pattern swatches in the downloaded map using Illustrator instead.)
Categorized polygon symbols (classed symbology)
As with point and line symbology, you can use classed and categorical symbology to categorize your polygon data, and these categories will carry through to your synced map in Illustrator. This is true for both categorical and quantitative symbolization.